The rain and wind of the night ceased this morning to give way to a beautiful day. I arose and busied myself all the morning in reading M. Chateaubriand’s Preface to his Etudes Historiques, alluded to the other day. His views are somewhat peculiar and curious. He considers society as founded upon three truths, as he calls them. Philosophical, Political, and Religious truth. The differences between these, or the influences which have represented them, and the preponderance of one over another unduly, have caused all the different stages of the progress of man, and the lessons of History. He has a further doctrine about the influence of the Catholic Religion, which being a Catholic is natural to him although in my humble opinion totally unsound.

We had to dine today, Mr. and Mrs. S. Brooks, and Mr. and Mrs. Everett. Pleasant enough and they went home about five. Quiet evening at home. The Cholera seems at last to be taking serious hold in the City. Read aloud a little of Dr. Granville.